New version. New features. Same old reliable GSelector. With the pending release of GSelector 4.9.0, John Bonou, Asst. GSelector Product Manager, joined us to breakdown the new GSelector Clock feature in which users can define any quantity of clocks – from one minute to 24 hours.
Starting with the setup, the new GSelector Clock feature doesn’t have to be enabled unless you would like it to. Even enabled, just because you have the option to create minute long clocks, doesn’t mean you’re obligated to.
Once enabled, you’ll notice the new Clocks interface, found in the same location: Clocks | Assignment | Grids | Definition, only it will have a nice cosmetic facelift. Think of the new Clocks feature as an “in addition” to existing Clock workflows. So the usual Windows keyboard shortcuts or the right-click Assign Clocks will continue to operate as normal. However, now, users can drag and drop clocks and you’ll notice there is a gear icon that will allow you to control the Clocks display. For example, if you find yourself working within a minute by minute clock format, then you would switch from the 60-minute clock display to perhaps 15 minutes or less. User’s choice!
Before, users would create a clock that was essentially split between two forms of content. There are lots of examples, but we focused on the pre-Morning Show clock. Let’s say your Morning Show has a “Best of” from 5:30am – 6:00am. Currently, you would create one single clock and then essentially split it – 30 minutes of content and then 30 minutes of “Best Of.” With the new Clocks feature, you can continue the existing “Overnight” clock from 5:00am – 5:30am and then have a single 30 minute “Best Of” Clock that would air Monday thru Friday at 5:30am – 6:00am. Same applies for a “Top 5 at 5,” Sunday morning PSA or as Henrik mentioned in the comments, a 15 minute reoccurring “Top of the Hour News.” If you reverse that, let’s say you have a four-hour podcast show or longer form content, users can now schedule a single multiple hour clock. So a single clock from 8am to 12pm.
A couple human scheduling points to make and we’ll use extremes to properly identify these examples. If you schedule a 24-hour clock with only an hour worth of music, then GSelector will do EXACTLY what you tell it to – one hour of content for a 24 hour block. Note that you cannot carry clocks over days, IE: A 28 hour clock that spans Monday over into Tuesday. However, if you do schedule a half hour clock and don’t finish that hour with an additional half hour clock, when you save or exit the Definition tab, GSelector will prompt you with an error that you need to fill the empty clock positions.
Along with the minute clock breakdown, we’ve also added a Song & Link override option. So if you wanted to essentially ignore a daypart Goal/Rule Priority List, you could, as John detailed, create a “Dummy” daypart with no goals or rules and then using the Clock Override option, use another defined Priority List for your Songs or Links or both.
Keep an eye on our Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/RCSSoundSoftware , for upcoming RCS Live Events, including Zetta 5.20.1 New Features, More Efficient Holiday Scheduling with GSelector and more! We’ll see you next and every Thursday 11am ET for another episode of RCS Live!